GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ACTION ALERT

December 13, 2001

Long live mental health parity!

Urgent Contacts Needed ASAP for both House & Senate Conferees in Support of Mental Health Parity by COB Tuesday, December 18th!

 

THE ISSUE AT HAND

The Conference Committee for the Labor-HHS-Education Bill, H.R. 3061, is scheduled to meet again Wednesday, December 18^th and vote on whether or not to include the Senate Domenici-Wellstone Amendment in the final version of the bill. The Conference Committee had been expected to vote on this issue during their December 12^th meeting, but the issue was tabled until the next meeting.

Immediate pressure must be applied not only to the 10 House Republican Labor-HHS-Education conferees to accept the Domenici-Wellstone Amendment, but also to all the Senate conferees, Democratic and Republican alike, to stay strong on the issue.

BACKGROUND

On November 6th, the Senate passed H.R. 3061, the FY 2002 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill, by a vote of 89 to 10. And since the House of Representatives had already passed their version of H.R. 3061, on October 11^th by a vote of 373 to 43, the measure proceeded to a conference committee to iron out the differences.

Mental health parity is one of the major points of discussion and is one of the few unresolved issues. Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Paul Wellstone (D-MN) successfully offered a mental health parity amendment during the Senate consideration of H.R. 3061. The Domenici-Wellstone Amendment, as passed by voice vote on October 30^th, contains the entire text of S. 543, the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2001, which is a substantial expansion of mental health parity, far beyond that mandated by the 1996 Mental Health Parity Act.

A conference committee was convened to iron out the differences; the committee had been and met on December 12^th, but has yet to make a final decision on this topic.

ACTION NEEDED

ASAP, call the Representatives and Senators listed below at 1-866-PARITY4 (1-866-727-4894). This toll-free number, established by the Coalition for Fairness in Mental Illness Coverage, will connect you to the U.S. Capitol Switchboard, where you may ask for either a Representative's or Senator's office by name. Once you've been connected to an office, be sure to ask to speak with the "Mental Health Legislative Assistant" and deliver the following message:

House Republican Conferees (all members of the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee):

• Ralph Regula (R-OH) CHAIR
• C.W. Young (R-FL)
• Ernest Istook (R-OK)
• Dan Miller (R-FL)
• Roger Wicker (R-MS)
• Anne Northup (R-KY)
• Randy Cunningham (R-CA)
• Kay Granger (R-TX) She is leaning our way-- but we still need to shore up her support!
• John Peterson (R-PA)
• Don Sherwood (R-PA)

Only for the above Representatives, the message is:

"I’m calling to urge the Representative to vote their conscience on inclusion of the Domenici-Wellstone Amendment in the final Conference Report for Labor-HHS Appropriations. 50 million Americans and 153,000 social workers are counting on you! Please don't let us down!"

Senate Conferees (all the members of the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee, except Senator Byrd):

• Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chair
• Fritz Hollings (D-SC)
• Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
• Harry Reid (D-NV)
• Herb Kohl (D-WI)
• Robert Byrd (D-WV)
• Patty Murray (D-WA)
• Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
• Arlen Specter (R-PA), Ranking Member
• Thad Cochran (R-MS)
• Judd Gregg (R-NH)
• Larry Craig (R-ID)
• Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
• Ted Stevens (R-AK)
• Mike DeWine (R-OH)

Only for the above Senators, the message is:

"I’m calling to urge the Senator to remain steadfast in his/her strong support for the inclusion of the Domenici-Wellstone Amendment in the final Conference Report for Labor-HHS Appropriations. 50 million Americans and 153,000 social workers are counting on you! Please don't let us down!"

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR HELP! THE END IS IN SIGHT-- WE CAN'T WIN THIS FIGHT WITHOUT YOU!